Method and Device for Conducting a Multiple-Hand Wagering Game

ABSTRACT

A method of conducting a multiple-hand wagering game. A wager is placed on one of a plurality of hands. Each of the plurality of hands is dealt a number of game pieces. The player will win if the hand he bets has the highest ranking of the plurality of hands. Partial hands may be exposed to allow the player to increase or decrease their wagers. Optionally, predetermined holdings may be defined to govern the formation of the hands.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/066,202, entitled “Methods of Conducting Multiple-hand Wagering Games,” filed Feb. 19, 2008 by Applicant herein. The present application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/745,011, entitled “Casino Game with Player Choice (U-PIK),” filed on May 7, 2007.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wagering games. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods of conducting multiple hand wagering games.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional Pai Gow is a well-known Chinese game that is conducted in casinos worldwide. Pai Gow is played with a set of thirty-two Chinese Pai Gow tiles. It begins with the players making a wager. A hand of four tiles is dealt to each player and the dealer. Each player organizes his or her four tiles into a two-tile low hand and a two-tile high hand. The low hand must not have a higher ranking than the high hand. If the hands are incorrectly arranged, e.g. the player arranges a low hand that outranks the high hand, the player automatically loses. The player positions his tiles on the playing surface with the two-tile low hand in front of the two-tile high hand.

The dealer or banker also arranges his tiles or cards into a high hand which will be compared to the player's high hand, and a low hand which will be compared to the player's low hand. The higher ranking hand wins each comparison. A “copy” occurs when corresponding hands tie, that is, have the same rank. In conventional Pai Gow, copy hands, e.g. tied low hands or tied high hands, are resolved in favor of the dealer. The player must win both the high and low hands to receive an award based on the player's wager. If a player loses one hand and wins the other hand, a push occurs and the player's wager is returned without being rewarded. If the player loses both hands, the player's wager is collected or retained. The player is typically charged a five percent commission on any awards for winning hands.

In comparing hands, certain combinations outrank non-combination hands. More specifically, the highest hands are the pairs as shown in FIG. 1, which are based on the tiles shown in FIG. 2. The highest pair, known as the supreme pair 101, consists of two wild tiles 220, 221 (described in greater detail below). In descending order, the pairs include: Supreme pair 101, Heaven pair 102, Earth pair 103, Man pair 104, Goose pair 105, Plum pair 106, Long pair 107, Board pair 108, Hatchet pair 109, Partition pair 110, Long Leg 7 pair 111, Big Head 6 pair 112, Mixed 9 pair 113, Mixed 8 pair 114, Mixed 7 pair 115, and Mixed 5 pair 116.

Next in rank after pairs are special combinations known as the “Wong.” These combinations include either the two pip tile 202 or the twelve pip tile 201 combined with any nine pip tile 212, 213. Following the Wong are other special combinations known as the “Gong.” These combinations include either the two pip tile 202 or the twelve pip tile 201 combined with any eight pip tile 203, 214, 215.

If a pair, Wong, or Gong cannot be formed then the hand is ranked according to the hand value of the hand calculated as the sum, modulo ten, of the total pips on the tiles. For example a hand consisting of a twelve pip tile and a seven pip tile gives a sum of nineteen or a sum modulo ten of nine, the highest possible hand value. The highest among these hands are the combination formed by the twelve pip tile 201 (with two groups of six pips) combined with a seven pip tile 210, 216, 217 and the combination formed by the two pip tile 202 (with two groups of one pip) combined with a seven pip tile 210, 216, 217. These combinations are known as a “high nine” because they each include one of the two highest ranking individual tiles, i.e. the twelve pip tile 210 or the two pip tile 202, and a hand value of nine. The tiles also include a six pip wild tile 220 and a three pip wild tile 221, but either wild tile 220, 221 may be counted as a three or a six when used individually. That is, a six pip wild tile 220 may be counted as a six or a three depending on which count provides hand with a higher ranking hand value, as can the three pip wild tile 221. The individual tiles are illustrated in FIG. 2. In descending order, the tiles include: Heaven tile 201, Earth tile 202, Man tile 203, Goose tile 204, Plum tile 205, Long tile 206, Board tile 207, Hatchet tile 208, Partition tile 209, Long leg 7 tile 210, Big head 6 tile 211, Mixed 9 tiles 212, 213, Mixed 8 tiles 214, 215, Mixed 7 tiles 216, 217, Mixed 5 tiles 218, 219, and Wild 3/6 tiles 220, 221.

Another well-known game originating in China is Mah Jong. A standard Chinese Mah Jong set is composed of the following game pieces or tiles:

-   -   1) Numeric game pieces (tiles or game pieces) in three suits,         namely Bamboos (an example of which is shown in FIG. 3),         Characters or Wons (an example of which is shown in FIG. 4), and         Circles or Dots (an example of which is shown in FIG. 5). Each         of these suits consists of four sets of numeric game pieces         having a face value from one through nine for a total of         thirty-six game pieces in each suit.     -   2) Non-numeric game pieces, typically including four types of         Wind game pieces, referred to as East, West, South, and North,         and three types of Dragon game pieces (an example of which is         illustrated in FIG. 6), referred to as Red dragon, Green Dragon,         and White dragon. In a typical set, there are four game pieces         of each type of Wind and four game pieces of each type of         Dragon. These Wind and Dragon game pieces are non-numeric in         that they have no numeric face value.

In addition to the aforementioned one hundred thirty six game pieces, a typical Mah Jong set will include four Season game pieces (sometimes named as spring, summer, autumn, and winter, or sometimes merely numbered one through four) as well as four Flower game pieces (sometimes named for flowers, or sometimes merely numbered one through four) for a total of one hundred forty four game pieces.

Mah Jong uses no ranking system; instead, the first player to make a complete hand wins regardless of the composition of his or her hand. A complete hand will have fourteen game pieces, which must be composed of (a) four complete three-game piece sets and (b) a single pair. A complete three-game piece set must be either a triplet or a run. A triplet can be three numeric game pieces of the same rank and suit, three Dragons of the same type, or three Winds of the same type. A run must consist of three game pieces of the same suit in sequence, which is analogous to a three-card straight flush in poker. A pair can be two Dragons of the same type, two Winds of the same type, or two numeric game pieces of the same rank and suit. A hand that fails to meet the above criteria for a complete hand is said to be incomplete and cannot win.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a method for conducting a wagering game for at least one player at a gaming table or an electronic device using physical game pieces or electronic representations of game pieces, respectively. In an optional embodiment, the game pieces include Pai Gow tiles having pips identifying the Pai Gow tiles. In another optional embodiment, the game pieces include Mah Jong tiles including at least one set of numeric tiles having a value of one through nine and, optionally, one or more non-numeric tiles.

The method includes defining a ranking system for hands comprising the game pieces. For example, in an optional embodiment in which the game pieces include Pai Gow tiles, the ranking system may comprise in descending order (a) pairs in descending order of Supreme pair, Heaven pair, Earth pair, Man pair, Goose pair, Plum pair, Long pair, Board pair, Hatchet pair, Partition pair, Long Leg 7 pair, Big Head 6 pair, Mixed 9 pair, Mixed 8 pair, Mixed 7 pair, and Mixed 5 pair, (b) Wong, (c) Gong, and (d) hand values in descending order calculated as the sum, modulo ten, of the pips on the Pai Gow tiles of a hand. In an optional embodiment in which the game pieces include Mah Jong tiles, the ranking system may comprise in descending order (a) pairs in descending order based on the value of the tiles in the pair and (b) hand values in descending order calculated as the sum, modulo ten, of the value of the Mah Jong tiles of the hand.

At least one draw holding and, optionally, at least one no-draw holding, is defined based on the ranking system. Also, at least one exception event may optionally be defined. Optionally, the exception event is based on at least one of a plurality of hands dealt in the game. In an optional embodiment in which the game pieces are Pai Gow tiles, the draw holding could include any hand with a hand value of five or less and the exception event could include a hand value of six in one of the first hand or second hand, and a hand value of seven in the other of the first hand or second hand. In an optional embodiment in which the game pieces are Mah Jong tiles, the draw holding may include a hand with a hand value of five or less and the exception event could include a hand value of zero in one of the first hand or the second hand and a hand value of one in the other of the first hand and the second hand. In an optional embodiment utilizing at least one non-numeric Mah Jong tile, the non-numeric tile may outrank the numeric tiles or may be outranked by the numeric tiles. Similarly, the non-numeric tile may have any value, including a value of zero, a value of 0.5, or the like.

A wager is received from a player and receiving a designation from the player of at least one hand selected from any of a plurality of hands for resolution of the player's wager. In an optional embodiment, the plurality of hands includes a first hand and a second hand. At least one game piece is dealt to each of the plurality of hands. Optionally, each hand includes at least two game pieces.

At least one additional game piece is dealt to any of the plurality of hands with a draw holding. In an optional embodiment in which each hand includes two game pieces, exactly one additional game piece is dealt to each hand having a draw holding. In an optional embodiment, at least one game piece of each of the plurality of hands is dealt exposed, and each player may be permitted to elect to alter the amount of the player's wager prior to the step of dealing the additional game piece to the hand or hands with a draw holding. In such an optional embodiment, if the player elects to alter the amount of the player's wager by increasing the player's wager, an additional wager amount is received from the player and if the player elects to alter the amount of the player's wager by decreasing the player's wager, a portion of the wager amount is returned to the player.

As previously suggested, in a further optional embodiment, a no-draw holding may also be defined. In one such optional embodiment, no additional game pieces are dealt to any of the hands if any hand has a no-draw holding.

The rank of each hand is determined and the hands are compared to one another according to the ranking system. In an optional embodiment, the ranking system includes only hands containing two game pieces and two game pieces are dealt to each hand, with the possibility of a third game piece being dealt to a hand if it includes a draw holding. In one such optional embodiment, the ranking of each hand is the highest possible ranking that can be formed from two game pieces selected from the two or more game pieces dealt to the hand.

In an optional embodiment in which an exception event is defined, the wagers may be resolved according to an exception to the defined ranking system if the exception event occurs. For example, in one optional embodiment, the wagering game may be terminated, and at least the wagers designating one of the plurality of hands may be collected, without regard to the rank of the hand relative to the plurality of hands, when the hands include an exception event.

If one hand outranks any other hand, the wager is resolved by rewarding each player designating the hand with the highest ranking among the plurality of hands. Rewards may be of any size, including even money, greater than even money, or less than even money. Optionally, if two or more hands with an equal ranking outrank the other hands, the wager is returned for each player designating the tied hands. Conversely, the wager is collected from each player designating a hand that is outranked by another hand among the plurality of hands.

In an optional embodiment, a bonus wager may be received from one or more of the players prior to the step of dealing game pieces to the plurality of hands. In one such optional embodiment, the bonus wager may be resolved based on the rank of at least one of the plurality of hands according to the ranking system. Thus, in one example, the plurality of hands includes a first hand and a second hand. A bonus pay table of bonus hands associated with bonus payouts may be defined and the bonus wager may be resolved by comparing the first hand and the second hand to the bonus pay table and issuing a reward to the player based on the bonus wager if both the first hand and second hand are bonus hands.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of two-tile combinations used in an optional embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of single tiles used in an optional embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of cards used in a method and device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a front view of cards used in a method and device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a front view of cards used in a method and device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a front view of cards used in a method and device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made to the figures wherein like parts are referred to by like numerals throughout. Referring generally to FIG. 7, the present invention includes a method for conducting a game at a gaming table or on an electronic device. In an optional embodiment conducted at a gaming table, physical game pieces, such as cards, tiles, or the like, may be dealt to the hands described in greater detail below. Wagers may be signified by physical chips or checks, currency, coins, or the like, that are placed in a designated location on a gaming table layout. In an embodiment conducted on an electronic device, game pieces may include electronic representations of cards, tiles, or the like, that are displayed on a display. Wagers, in such an optional embodiment, may include physical chips or checks, currency, coins, or the like that are sensed by a wager sensor, wager credits stored at a data storage device that are allocated to a wager, or a combination thereof. In a hybrid device that includes characteristics of a gaming table and an electronic device, certain aspects of the game may be handled electronically with others being handled with physically. For example, the game may include the dealing of physical game pieces and the placement of wagers electronically; the dealing of electronically represented game pieces and the placement of physical wagers (which may be registered by a live dealer or sensed electronically); or the like.

With continued reference to FIG. 7, a method according to an embodiment of the present invention is conducted using game pieces. The game pieces may take any form, including playing cards, Pai Gow tiles, Mah Jong tiles or cards, or any other form of game piece for which a ranking system may be defined. The game pieces may comprise any set or deck. For example, in an optional embodiment utilizing Pai Gow tiles, a method may be conducted using one or more conventional sets of Pai Gow tiles, one or more truncated sets of Pai Gow tiles, one or more supplemented sets of Pai Gow tiles, or the like.

Similarly, in an optional embodiment utilizing Mah Jong tiles or cards (illustrated generally in FIGS. 3-6), a whole set of Mah Jong tiles or cards may be used to conduct the present method. Specifically, the method may be conducted with a Mah Jong set including: 1) three suits, namely, the Circles, Bamboos and Characters, with four sets of tiles or cards numbered one through nine in each suit; 2) three types of Dragons, namely, the Red Dragon, the Green Dragon and the White Dragon, with four tiles or cards for each type of Dragon; and 3) four different Winds, namely, the East, the West, the South and the North, with four tiles or cards for each type of Wind. In an alternate optional embodiment, discussed in greater detail below, a truncated Mah Jong set consisting of one suit of the numeric tiles or cards (i.e. thirty six tiles or cards consisting of four sets of tiles or cards numbered one through nine) plus one type of the three non-numeric Dragon tiles or cards (i.e. four tiles or cards of the same Dragon type). It is contemplated that such an optional embodiment may include a single truncated Mah Jong set or multiple truncated Mah Jong sets.

Based on the game pieces, a ranking system is defined 700 for hands that may be formed from the game pieces. For example, in an optional embodiment in which the game pieces include Pai Gow tiles, a ranking system may be defined for two-tile hands. In one such example, shown in FIG. 1, certain two-tile hands of Pai Gow tiles may be considered “pairs” that are ranked above other two-tile hands. As shown in FIG. 1, such a ranking system may include conventional Pai Gow tile pairs including, in descending order, Supreme pair 101, Heaven pair 102, Earth pair 103, Man pair 104, Goose pair 105, Plum pair 106, Long pair 107, Board pair 108, Hatchet pair 109, Partition pair 110, Long Leg 7 pair 111, Big Head 6 pair 112, Mixed 9 pair 113, Mixed 8 pair 114, Mixed 7 pair 115, and Mixed 5 pair 116. The ranking system may further include an evaluation of two-tile hands not including a pair based on the sum of the pips on the face of the tiles as shown in FIG. 2. Optionally, the sum is calculated modulo ten such that if the sum of a hand is greater than nine, the sum is equal to the remainder after dividing by ten. Thus, in such an optional embodiment, a hand containing a tile with eight pips and a tile with six pips would have a sum modulo ten of four (i.e. fourteen divided by ten leaves a remainder of four).

In an example utilizing Mah Jong game pieces, a ranking system may be defined based on pairs of game pieces and the sum modulo ten of the face values of the game pieces in the hand. For example, in one such optional embodiment, ranked hands include two Mah Jong game pieces. A hand with game pieces of the same value and suit (in an optional embodiment in which multiple suits are included) forms a pair. Optionally, pair hands rank above non-pair hands with pairs ranked, in descending order, as Dragons, nines, eights, sevens, sixes, fives, fours, threes, twos, and ones. In an alternate optional embodiment, a pair of Dragons may rank at the bottom of the scale, i.e. below a pair of ones. Non-pair hands optionally are ranked based on the sum, modulo ten, of the values of the game pieces in the hand. In summing the values, numeric game pieces are given a value equal to their face value. Non-numeric game pieces may be assigned any value, including zero or any other whole number value or a fractional value such as one-half, depending on the embodiment. Thus, in an optional embodiment in which a Dragon tile or card has a value of one half (or 0.5), the sum, modulo ten, of a hand would range from zero to nine and one half (or 9.5); whereas in an optional embodiment in which a Dragon tile or card has a whole number value, the sum, modulo ten, of a hand would range from zero to nine.

Referring generally to FIG. 7, a wager and a designation of a hand for resolution of the wager is received 702 from a player. That is, a player places a wager and selects a hand from among a plurality of hands that will be used to resolve the player's wager. Any number of hands may be included. For example, in one optional embodiment, a player places a wager and selects one of two hands, either a first hand or a second hand, for resolution of that wager. In this optional embodiment, the hands are shared in that every player in the game is eligible to select from same first hand or second hand for resolution of the player's wager. In an alternate optional embodiment, a hand may be assigned to a player. For example, in an optional embodiment, a dealer hand may be dealt to a dealer and a player hand may be dealt to each player placing a wager. In such an optional embodiment, the hand dealt to the player would be designated for resolution of that player's wager.

The plurality of hands are dealt 704. As discussed above, in an optional embodiment, two hands are dealt. In an alternate optional embodiment, more than two hands can be dealt and the player may be permitted to bet any of these hands.

The dealt hands may include any quantity of game pieces. For example, in an optional embodiment in which the ranking system includes two-game piece hands, the initially dealt hands may include exactly the quantity of game pieces needed to form a hand, i.e. two game pieces, or fewer or more game pieces needed to form a hand, i.e. one game piece or three or more game pieces. Additionally, the hands may be dealt fully exposed, partially exposed, or fully unexposed. Where a hand is dealt partially exposed, the hand may be dealt with multiple game pieces, some of which are exposed and some of which are unexposed, or the hand may be partially dealt with exposed game pieces, then completed by dealing additional game pieces exposed or unexposed.

The way that the hands are dealt may relate to whether the player is afforded an opportunity to alter the player's wager after the initial hands are dealt. Specifically, in an optional embodiment, the player may be permitted to increase or decrease the player's wager based on the initially dealt hands. For example, in one optional embodiment utilizing Pai Gow tiles, the hands include one face-up tile in each of the plurality of hands. In one optional embodiment, the players may alter their wagers regardless of the specific tiles exposed. In another optional embodiment, the players may be permitted to alter their wagers only if a specific tile is exposed. For example, in one such optional embodiment, a player may be permitted to increase, e.g. double, his or her wager only if the hand the player has wagered upon includes an exposed Heaven tile, Earth tile, or wild tile (Wild 3/6). In another optional embodiment, a player may be allowed to increase, e.g. double, his or her wager only if the hand the player has wagered upon includes a tile other than a Heaven tile. For example, in one such optional embodiment, one tile is dealt face-up to each of the hands. If the exposed tile of the hand wagered upon by a player is not a Heaven tile, then the player is permitted to increase the player's wager on that hand.

It is contemplated that the bases on which a player's wager may be altered may influence the definition of the exception event (described in greater detail below). For example, if the player is not permitted to increase the player's wager, or the circumstances under which the player's wager may be increased are reduced, a less likely exception event may be defined to maintain a desired house edge. Thus, in an optional embodiment utilizing Pai Gow game pieces in which the player is not permitted to alter the player's wager, the exception event may be defined to include one hand having a sum, modulo ten, of five and the other hand having a sum, modulo ten, of six.

In another optional embodiment, the player may be permitted to decrease the player's wager. In one such optional embodiment, the option to decrease the player's wager may be exercised in any hand, that is, without regard to the value of any exposed game piece. For example, in one such optional embodiment, one tile may be dealt exposed to each hand. The player may, based on the exposed tiles in the hands, elect to surrender and forfeit a portion of the player's wager.

After any alterations to the wagers occur, or if no alterations are permitted, the hands are completed. In one optional embodiment, the hands are completed by determining 706 the rank of the dealt hand, and determining whether one or more additional game pieces are to be dealt to the hand. Specifically, in one optional embodiment, one or more draw holdings are defined. If a hand includes 710 a draw holding, at least one additional game piece is dealt 712 to the hand. In one such optional embodiment, a hand receiving an additional game piece is evaluated based on the highest ranking hand formed from the game pieces available in the hand. If a hand does not include a draw holding, it is evaluated based on the game pieces already dealt to the hand.

For example, in an optional embodiment utilizing Pai Gow tiles, a draw holding may be defined as any hand that has a sum, modulo ten, of less than six. That is, an initial hand of two Pai Gow tiles is dealt and, if the hand includes a sum, modulo ten, of less than six, an additional Pai Gow tile is dealt to the hand. Conversely, if the initial hand of two tiles includes a pair or a sum, modulo ten, of six or more, the hand is evaluated based on the initially dealt two tile hand.

Optionally, a no-draw holding is also defined. In one such optional embodiment, if any hand includes 708 a no-draw holding, no additional tiles are dealt to any of the hands, even if another hand includes a draw holding. Thus, in such an optional embodiment, the game method proceeds, as discussed below, based on the initially dealt hands without any additional game pieces dealt to any of the hands.

For example, in an optional embodiment utilizing Pai Gow tiles or Mah Jong game pieces, a no-draw hand may be defined as any hand that includes a pair (or alternatively, any hand including a predefined sum, modulo ten, or a pair). In such an optional embodiment, if one of the hands includes a pair, no additional game pieces would be dealt to any of the hands and the game method would proceed based on the dealt hands.

After completing the hands, the rank of each of the plurality of hands is determined. As previously discussed, if a hand includes more game pieces than needed to form a ranked hand, the hand may be evaluated based on the highest ranking hand that can be formed from the available game pieces in the hand. Thus, if a hand includes three game pieces and the ranking system is directed to two-game piece hands, the hand is evaluated based on the highest ranking combination that can be formed from two of the three game pieces. In an alternate optional embodiment, a hand may be evaluated based on all the game pieces, e.g. the sum of three game pieces may be included in determining the value of a hand even if the hand rank otherwise includes two-game piece combinations.

In an optional embodiment, an exception event is defined along with an exception to the defined ranking system. If an exception event occurs 714, wagers are resolved 716 according to an exception to the ranking system rather than the ranking system. It is contemplated that the holdings triggering an exception to the ranking system, as well as the exception applied when such an exception event occurs, may vary based on the specific embodiment. Thus, it is contemplated that the holdings comprising an exception event may include holdings in one of the plurality of hands, one or more of the plurality of hands, or all of the plurality of hands. Similarly, the holdings comprising an exception event may include specific holdings or a range of holdings. Likewise, the exception may convert an otherwise winning outcome into a push outcome or a losing outcome; convert a push outcome into a losing outcome or a winning outcome; convert a losing outcome into a push outcome or a winning outcome; or a combination thereof.

For example, in one such optional embodiment, the exception event causes all players to lose their wagers, regardless of which of the plurality of hands was selected for resolution of the wagers. In an optional embodiment utilizing Pai Gow game pieces and the ranking system described above, the automatic event may comprise one hand having a value of six and one hand having a value of seven. In other words, if both hands fail to include a pair, and one hand has a sum, modulo ten, of six and the other hand has a sum, modulo ten, of seven, then players wagering on both hands would lose even though, strictly speaking, one hand has a higher rank than the other.

In another optional embodiment, an exception event causes each player to either lose or push on the player's wagers. Thus, in one such example, an exception event may include a game in which neither hand includes a pair, one hand has a value of seven, and the other hand has a value of six or five. In such an optional embodiment utilizing Pai Gow game pieces, players designating the hand with the value of seven may have their wagers returned, i.e. a push, while players designating the hand with the value of five or six will lose their wagers. As above, it is contemplated that the holdings comprising an exception event may include holdings in one of the plurality of hands, one or more of the plurality of hands, or all of the plurality of hands and that the holdings may include specific holdings or a range of holdings.

If an exception event has not occurred, or in an embodiment in which an exception event is not included, the hands are compared and the wagers are resolved 718 according to the ranking system. For example, under either of the example ranking systems described above, if one hand includes a pair and the other does not include a pair, the pair hand outranks the non-pair hand. Optionally, non-pair hands with the same sum may be differentiated based on the individual game pieces in the hands. For example, in an embodiment utilizing Mah Jong game pieces, if two hands include a sum, modulo ten, of seven, in which one hand includes an eight and a nine while the other hand includes a two and a five, the hand containing the nine may outrank the other hand since a nine game piece outranks a five game piece. As may be appreciated, an embodiment utilizing Pai Gow tiles may utilize a similar tie-breaking procedure. Optionally, where multiple hands have identical holdings, the hands may be considered tied with all wagers on the tied hands being returned.

Where hands may be differentiated, wagers on the higher ranking hand are rewarded and wagers on the lower ranking hand are collected or retained. The payouts for wagers on the higher ranking hand may be greater than even money, even money, or less than even money. For example, in an optional embodiment in which three hands are dealt, wagers on a winning hand out of three dealt hands may be paid at two to one. Although the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 does not contemplate a commission on winning wager, it is contemplated that an alternate optional embodiment may include a commission on any winning hand.

Optionally, the method may include a side wager or bonus wager. In one such optional embodiment, a bonus pay table is defined to associate bonus hands with bonus payouts. A bonus wager is placed prior to dealing any game pieces, optionally when the wager is placed 702 prior to the dealing of any game pieces. The bonus wager may be resolved in any of a variety of ways. For example, in one optional embodiment, the bonus wager is resolved based on the highest ranking hand among the plurality of hands, without regard to which hand was designated for resolution of the player's other wager. In such an optional embodiment, the highest ranking hand among the plurality of hands is compared to the bonus pay table and the bonus payout, if any, associated with the hand is paid to any player placing a bonus wager.

In an additional or alternative optional embodiment, the bonus wager is resolved based on the plurality of hands. For example, in one such embodiment in which a first hand and a second hand are dealt, the first hand and second hand are compared to a bonus pay table and a bonus payout is issued if both the first hand and second hand are bonus hands.

Table 1 illustrates an example bonus pay table for an optional embodiment utilizing Pai Gow tiles dealt to two hands. In the example of Table 1, a bonus pay out is issued if the higher ranking hand includes a holding equal to, or higher than, a Gong. In this optional embodiment, with the exception of two pair, a payout is issued for only the higher ranking hand if both hands form a bonus hand. Where both hands include a pair, a single bonus payout (either as a “two pair” or “two pair (Earth-high or better)” in Table 1) is paid.

TABLE 1 Bonus Payout Bonus Hand (to 1) Two Pair (Earth- 50 High or Better) Two Pair 25 Gee Jong (“Supreme Pair”) 8 Heaven or Earth Pair 5 One Pair 3 Wong or Gong 1

Table 2 illustrates another optional embodiment of a bonus pay table for a game in which two hands are dealt using Pai Gow tiles. In the example of Table 2, a bonus payout is associated with a game in which one hand has a hand value of six and another hand has a hand value of seven. Such a bonus pay table may be utilized in an optional embodiment in which such a holding triggers an exception event. In such an optional embodiment, a player may be at least partially compensated (i.e. with a bonus payout on the player's bonus wager) for losing the player's wager as a result of the exception to the ranking system that causes the player to automatically lose his or her wager for that holding. In such an optional embodiment, the bonus wager may act somewhat as a hedge against such an exception event.

TABLE 2 Bonus Payout Bonus Hand (to 1) Two Pair (Earth-High or Better) 40 Two Pair 20 Earth Pair or Better 6 One Pair 1 One hand has 7 and one hand has 6 2

The present invention also includes a device for conducting a wagering game. The device may take any form, including an electronic gaming device, handheld device, cellular telephone, electronic gaming table, personal computer, kiosk, or the like. For example, as shown in the optional embodiment of FIG. 8, a device may include a data processor 800 in communication with a display 802. The data processor 800 may take any form, such as a conventional microprocessor, that can execute program instructions in the form of software, firmware, or the like. Similarly, the display 802 may take any form, including a cathode ray tube monitor, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, or the like. The data processor 800 optionally communicates with, and controls, the display 802 either directly or indirectly, such as through a video controller.

A wager input device 804 in communication with the data processor 800 receives wager input from a player and transmits a signal to the data processor 800 in response to the wager input. The wager input device 804 may optionally be configured to receive physical wagers, such as through a card reader, ticket reader, bill acceptor, coin receiver, or the like. Additionally or alternatively, the wager input device 804 may be configured to receive electronic wagers, such as through a touchscreen, keypad or keyboard, mouse, pointer, button panel, or the like that may be actuated by the player to allocate credits to a wager from a register of stored game credits.

A data storage device 810 stores program instructions executable by the data processor 800 to conduct a wagering game as previously described. Optionally, the data storage device 810 also stores parameters for executing a game, such as graphics representing game pieces, a predefined ranking system, draw holdings, optional no-draw holdings, bonus pay tables, and the like.

For example, in an optional embodiment, a ranking system, at least one draw holding, and at least one exception event are defined and stored at the data storage device 810. A player inputs a wager at a wager input device 804 and designates one of a plurality of hands for resolution of the wager. Optionally, the player inputs the player's designation of a hand through an input device 808. The input device 808 may take any form, including a keyboard, keypad, mouse, pointer, touchscreen, button panel, or the like to identify or select a hand from a plurality of hands.

In response to the wager and designation inputs, a data processor 800 deals at least one game piece to each hand. In an optional embodiment, at least one game piece of each hand is displayed at the display 802. As discussed above, a player may, in certain optional embodiments, be permitted to alter the player's wager based on the game pieces dealt to the hands. In such an optional embodiment, input from the player to indicate whether the player wishes to alter the player's wager and, if so, the alteration desired, may be received at the wager input device 804 and/or the input device 808.

After any wager alterations are made, or in an optional embodiment in which such alterations are not available, the data processor 800 determines whether additional game pieces should be dealt to one or more of the hands. For example, as described in greater detail above, the data processor 800 may compare the hands to a draw holding and, optionally, a no-draw holding, and deal or refrain from dealing additional game pieces to the hands.

In an optional embodiment, an exception event may be stored at the data storage device 810 and the hands may be examined by the data processor 800 to determine whether an exception event is met. As discussed above, if the exception event occurs, the wager may be resolved by the data processor 800 based on an exception to the ranking system stored at the data storage device 810 rather than the ranking system.

Where no exception event has occurred, or where the game does not include an exception event, the data processor 800 resolved the wagers based on the ranking system as previously described. For example, in one optional embodiment, the hands are compared to one another by the data processor 800 according to the ranking system and each wager designating the highest ranking hand among the plurality of hands is rewarded. Optionally, wagers on hands that are outranked by another hand are retained or collected. In a further optional embodiment, identical hands may be treated as a push and the wager returned.

While certain embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described it is to be understood that the present invention is subject to many modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention presented herein. 

1. A method for conducting a wagering game for at least one player at a gaming table or an electronic device using physical game pieces or electronic representations of game pieces, respectively, the method comprising: defining a ranking system for hands comprising said game pieces; defining at least one draw holding based on said ranking system; receiving a wager from a player and receiving a designation from said player of at least one hand selected from any of a plurality of hands for resolution of said player's wager; defining at least one exception event based on at least one of said plurality of hands and an exception to said ranking system; dealing at least one game piece to each of said plurality of hands; dealing at least one additional game piece to any of said plurality of hands with a draw holding; determining the rank of each of said plurality of hands and comparing said plurality of hands to one another according to said ranking system; if said plurality of hands comprise an exception event, resolving said wager according to said exception to said ranking system rather than said ranking system and terminating said wagering game for each player; and if said plurality of hands fail to comprise an exception event and one hand outranks any other hand, resolving said wager according to said ranking system by rewarding each player designating the hand with the highest ranking among said plurality of hands according to said ranking system.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of resolving said wager according to said ranking system further comprises: if two or more hands with an equal ranking outrank any other hands, returning said wager for each player designating either hand with said highest ranking among said plurality of hands according to said ranking system; and collecting said wager from each player designating a hand that is outranked by another hand among said plurality of hands according to said ranking system.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said player is rewarded with even money.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said player is rewarded with less than even money.
 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising: defining at least one no-draw holding; and if any of said plurality of hands includes said no-draw holding, comparing said plurality of hands without dealing any additional game pieces to any of said plurality of hands without regard to whether any of said plurality of hands includes a draw holding.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of hands comprises at least two game pieces, said ranking system includes only hands containing two game pieces, and said step of determining the ranking of each hand comprises determining the highest possible ranking that can be formed from two game pieces selected from two or more game pieces dealt to said hand.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of dealing comprises dealing at least one game piece of each of said plurality of hands is dealt exposed, the method further comprising: receiving an election from each player to alter the amount of said player's wager prior to said step of dealing at least one additional game piece to any hand with a draw holding; if said player elects to alter the amount of said player's wager by increasing said player's wager, receiving from said player an additional wager amount; and if said player elects to alter the amount of said player's wager by decreasing said player's wager, returning to said player a portion of said wager amount.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein said game pieces comprise Pai Gow tiles having pips identifying said Pai Gow tiles, said ranking system comprises in descending order (a) pairs in descending order of Supreme pair, Heaven pair, Earth pair, Man pair, Goose pair, Plum pair, Long pair, Board pair, Hatchet pair, Partition pair, Long Leg 7 pair, Big Head 6 pair, Mixed 9 pair, Mixed 8 pair, Mixed 7 pair, and Mixed 5 pair, (b) Wong, (c) Gong, and (d) hand values in descending order calculated as the sum, modulo ten, of the pips on the Pai Gow tiles of a hand, and said draw holding is a hand with a hand value of five or less.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein said plurality of hands includes a first hand and a second hand, said exception event comprises one of said first hand and said second hand having a hand value of seven and the other of said first hand and said second hand having a hand value of six, and said step of resolving said wagers according to an exception to said ranking system comprises collecting all wagers without regard to said ranking system.
 10. The method of claim 8 wherein said plurality of hands includes a first hand and a second hand, said exception event comprises one of said first hand and said second hand having a value of seven and the other of said first hand and said second hand having a hand value of six or five, and said step of resolving said wagers according to an exception to said ranking system comprises collecting all wagers designating said hand having a hand value of six or five and returning said wagers designating said hand having a hand value of seven without regard to said ranking system.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of hands includes a first hand and a second hand, said game pieces comprise Mah Jong tiles including at least one set of numeric tiles having a value of one through nine, said ranking system comprises in descending order (a) pairs in descending order based on the value of the tiles in said pair and (b) hand values in descending order calculated as the sum, modulo ten, of the value of the Mah Jong tiles of said hand, said draw holding is a hand with a hand value of five or less, said exception event comprises one of said first hand and said second hand having a hand value of zero and the other of said first hand and said second hand having a hand value of one, and said step of resolving said wagers according to an exception to said ranking system comprises collecting all wagers without regard to said ranking system.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein said Mah Jong tiles further include at least one non-numeric tile that outranks said numeric tiles.
 13. The method of claim 11 wherein said Mah Jong tiles further include at least one non-numeric tile that is outranked by said numeric tiles.
 14. The method of claim 11 wherein said Mah Jong tiles further include at least one non-numeric tile having a value of zero.
 15. The method of claim 11 wherein said Mah Jong tiles further include at least one non-numeric tile having a value of 0.5.
 16. The method of claim 11 further comprising: receiving a bonus wager from said player prior to said step of dealing game pieces to said plurality of hands; and resolving said bonus wager based on the rank of at least one of said plurality of hands according to said ranking system.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein said plurality of hands includes a first hand and a second hand, the method further comprising: defining a bonus pay table of bonus hands associated with bonus payouts, such that said step of resolving said bonus wager includes comparing said first hand and said second hand to said bonus pay table and issuing a reward to said player based on said bonus wager if both said first hand and second hand are bonus hands.
 18. A method for conducting a wagering game for at least one player at a gaming table or an electronic device using physical game pieces or electronic representations of game pieces, respectively, the method comprising: defining a ranking system for hands comprising said game pieces; defining at least one draw holding based on said ranking system; receiving a wager from a player and receiving a designation from said player of at least one hand selected from any of a plurality of hands for resolution of said player's wager, said plurality of hands including a first hand and a second hand; defining at least one exception event based on at least one of said plurality of hands and an exception to said ranking system; dealing at least one game piece to each of said plurality of hands; dealing at least one additional game piece to any of said plurality of hands with a draw holding; determining the rank of each of said plurality of hands and comparing said plurality of hands to one another according to said ranking system; if said plurality of hands comprise an exception event, resolving said wager according to said exception to said ranking system rather than said ranking system and terminating said wagering game for each player; and if said plurality of hands fail to comprise an exception event, resolving said wager according to said ranking system comprising: if one hand outranks any other hand, resolving said wager by rewarding each player designating the hand with the highest ranking among said plurality of hands according to said ranking system; if two or more hands with an equal ranking outrank any other hands, returning said wager for each player designating either hand with said highest ranking among said plurality of hands according to said ranking system; and collecting said wager from each player designating a hand that is outranked by another hand among said plurality of hands according to said ranking system.
 19. The method of claim 18 further comprising: defining at least one no-draw holding; and if any of said plurality of hands includes said no-draw holding, comparing said plurality of hands without dealing any additional game pieces to any of said plurality of hands without regard to whether any of said plurality of hands includes a draw holding.
 20. The method of claim 18 wherein each of said plurality of hands comprises at least two game pieces, said ranking system includes only hands containing two game pieces, and said step of determining the ranking of each hand comprises determining the highest possible ranking that can be formed from two game pieces selected from two or more game pieces dealt to said hand.
 21. The method of claim 18 wherein said step of dealing comprises dealing at least one game piece of each of said plurality of hands is dealt exposed, the method further comprising: receiving an election from each player to alter the amount of said player's wager prior to said step of dealing at least one additional game piece to any hand with a draw holding; if said player elects to alter the amount of said player's wager by increasing said player's wager, receiving from said player an additional wager amount; and if said player elects to alter the amount of said player's wager by decreasing said player's wager, returning to said player a portion of said wager amount.
 22. The method of claim 18 further comprising: defining a bonus pay table of bonus hands associated with bonus payouts; receiving a bonus wager from said player prior to said step of dealing game pieces to said plurality of hands; and resolving said bonus wager by comparing said first hand and said second hand to said bonus pay table and issuing a reward to said player based on said bonus wager if both said first hand and second hand are bonus hands. 